http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...-their-victory-against-Tottenham-Hotspur.html In fact, the apparent distinction between the two is one which you can expect to be drawn fairly often over the coming week. There is a curious aspect to the criticism of Stokeâs rugged style that has beset them since their ascent to the Premier League three years ago: it only seems to surface when Stoke are winning. Stoke make no bones of the fact that they play to their strengths. But on Sunday, they also played to Tottenhamâs weakness. Younes Kaboul aside, Tottenham are a relatively small team. Time and again William Gallas and the two Tottenham full-backs struggled with Stokeâs aerial deliveries, the brutish physicality of Peter Crouch and Jon Walters. Both goals stemmed from Ryan Shottonâs service on the right flank, the first a cross, the second a long throw. âEvery time the kid on the right threw it in the box, we panicked,â Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp admitted. The âkid on the rightâ has been one of the finds of the season for Stoke. After serving his time on loan at Altrincham, Tranmere and Barnsley, local boy Shotton has managed to break into the first team, and Stoke manager Tony Pulis will have a severe headache when regular right-sided midfielder Jermaine Pennant returns from injury. âWe still donât know which is his best position, but he certainly seems to enjoy playing out there on the right,â Pulis said. âHe's got great pace, heâs a strong boy, and with the throw, it helps.â So unnerved were Tottenham by Stokeâs aerial bombardment that Redknapp was forced into a radical tactical switch at half-time, taking off Benoit Assou-Ekotto in favour of an extra centre-half in Sebastien Bassong. Stoke were forced to match them, dragging makeshift right-back Jonathan Woodgate into the centre, with Shotton going to wing-back. But the truly arresting aspect of Stokeâs play on Sunday was their work rate. The tracking back from the likes of Walters and Matthew Etherington was outstanding. âPeople donât recognise how hard some of the players in our team work,â Pulis said. âIn the second half, Matty was in their box, it breaks down, they run down the left, and he gets back on [Kyle] Walker inside him, when the ball comes inside the box. Heâs not just a threat going the other way, the effort and commitment heâs put in to get back there is fantastic.â Pressing every ball as if their lives depended on it, showing unparalleled levels of dedication and fitness? Perhaps Stoke and Barcelona have more in common than we first thought.
***ging Jose, didn't know you were: 1. A public schoolboy 2. A cottager - a Fulham fan of course Perhaps we should be told!
i think it's a great article.. Sgt Talking about ***s Nicky.. some Spurs fans think that Mr Foy is bent, wonder why that could be.
Now let's ALL guess how this article will read, no peeping now and no cheating!! Well I for one am stumped, CANNOT imagine it could be negative! Gericalo, you lost, get over it, you really are getting just a little boring now, so as suggested yesterday, stop being a silly billy OK?
you're boring ALL the time, you patronising fool. I've read both articles and others to get a balanced view but I'm guessing you're too narrow-minded to read anything that might contradict yours. I'm guessing there's only one pair of grandparents in your family tree
At the end of the day it's another opinion. Now if you're talking about the quality of the writing itself..........
Yes you do have a balanced view, a chip on both shoulders, but I really should apologise to you, as I have heard that PMT can make one irritable and a grumply little toad. So go and have a lie down with a hot water bottle in a darkened room.
Gericarlo No offence but, we're Stoke fans and... We are not blind, we call all read perfectly well and, most of us are normal human beings. At least the one's on here are. Sometimes, we get uppity especially when some fans say they hate us? Ghoddle for one.. i feel sorry for the guy that he thinks that way and.. We all make mistakes... just not as many in 95 mins as Mr Foy did. He's not the only blind ref it seem's.. I'm off to read the Citeh board to see what they think of Mr Clatterbug's eyesight. I'm sure Spurs and Arry will get a few slices of luck this season... have a nice day and it's done with over, Kaput!
No problems with most of your fans but NickyB does need to do a little growing up. As I said yesterday, I have no problem with Stoke.
It is indeed, but no matter how many articles we both peruse, I doubt our own opinions of what happened on Sunday will change much. Spurs fans will bemoan the officials' performance (and rightly so), while Stoke fans will take the referee and linesman's decisions with a pinch of salt and bathe in the glory of a somewhat contoversial three points. We'll never agree, but that's the nature of being a fickle football fan.
2nd that Gericalo Nicky B like the rest of us, does have a sense of humour.. we've exchanged e-mails a few times.. Just to let you know that Nicky is in fact one of the more interlectual posters on the Stoke board... A Degree in English Lit I believe? But, I'm sure Nicky is more than capable of telling you himself, just that he's too modest I think? He baffles many of us the Stoke fans with his fancy wording and quotes.. To be or not to be, that is the conundrum I suppose. In short, don't take it too personal he's really a harmless old Stokie.. like me. But much older
Me? A degree (Physics) worked in the aircraft industry intil May this year but, Don't tell Nicky B cos I've never told him until now.
